1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of recording an image of a given object onto a substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the art is known a method of forming an image from an object by way of defining the object as a pixel set of digital values, and then forming the image onto a substrate under the control of the pixel set of digital values. The object image information is stored as the color/hue/intensity values of each pixel. The image is formed onto a substrate precoated with a layer of photoreactive material. Subsequently, the substrate can be exposed with the help of a point source of light (a laser) in a positionally deflected manner, whereby the light intensity is controlled at each pixel location to the value determined by the digital intensity value of the object at the respective point. To record a color image, values obtained from a color separation process are used to control a three-color laser.
The latent image thus formed is developed into a visible image by way of initiating a color-forming reaction in the photoreactive material, then fixing the image and finally treating the substrate by methods known in the art of photography. This kind of method may be used in the recording of a black-and-white or a color image.
To obtain the required digital image values, the object can be first imaged by a plurality of techniques known in the art, such as a direct photography of the object using a digital camera. Alternatively, the object may be first photographed in a conventional manner and the information content of the film image thus formed can be converted into a digital format by means of scanners generally used in the art.
In this conventional method of image reproduction, the image is produced through a traditional photographic process, wherein the fixing of the image is a crucial step. During fixing, a chemical treatment step is carried out to remove from the emulsion overlying the substrate that portion of the photoreactive agent whose composition has not changed under exposure into a form capable of reacting in a color-forming manner with the developing chemical. While this step represents a cost-increasing factor as an extra step of the process, it especially seriously adds to the chemical burden imposed by the process. The chemical waste burden does not only appear as an additional cost and an environmental burden, but its implicit effect also represents a significant risk to the finished image. Firstly, there inevitably remains into the developed image some amount of unreacted photoreactive material, developer residues and fixing chemical residues inasmuch such chemical residues in the printed image cannot be avoided in spite of the washing steps performed in the process. Eventually, these chemical residues deteriorate the long-term stability of the finished image.
The method is based on an image transfer technique, wherein the object is first scanned to determine the numerical image values at its coordinate locations. Using these numerical values, the final image is then recorded with the help of reactive agents capable of undergoing a change of state. Advantageously, the reactive agent forming the image by a state change is a photoreactive agent, particularly advantageously an agent capable of undergoing a photoreactive conversion into a specific color, with the help of which the final image is recorded in a shape and color rendition that represent those of the original object.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method capable of overcoming the above-described drawbacks of the related art.
The goal of the invention is achieved by way of first defining the object""s numerical values (through digitization) and then recording the image of the object, with the help of reactive agents undergoing a state change, under the control of the predetermined numerical values. According to the general concept of the invention, the reactive agent capable of a state change is applied onto a substrate in amounts positioned and controlled by the numerical value associated with the respective coordinate location, whereupon the substrate can be subjected to a reaction resulting in the desired state change in each applied agent.
Particularly in image reproduction based on a state-change-causing reaction aiming to produce a specific color, the method according to the invention can record a high-quality image so that the color-forming reaction of each dye agent reproducing a specific color is brought to its complete end point. Hence, the recorded image cannot contain unreacted dye agent that would need to be removed by postprocessing. As a result, the image will contain an amount of chemical residues substantially smaller than what is encountered in a state-of-the-art process as to both the dye itself and the chemical required to remove its unreacted portion. This means that at least one workstep can be eliminated in the sequence of image processing, thus offering respective savings in work and material costs. Additionally, the long-term stability of the processed image becomes substantially superior over that of an image reproduced using a state-of-the-art process.